Effect of enzyme secreting bacterial pretreatment on enhancement of aerobic digestion potential of waste activated sludge interceded through EDTA

In this study, the effect of Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) on Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) removal tailed with bacterial enzymatic pretreatment on aerobic digestion of activated sludge was studied. In order to enhance the accessibility of sludge to the enzyme secreting bacteria; the extracellular polymeric substances were removed using EDTA. EDTA efficiently removed the EPS with limited cell lysis and enhanced the sludge enzyme activity at its lower concentration of 0.2 g/g SS. The sludge was then subjected to bacterial pretreatment to enhance the aerobic digestion. In aerobic digestion the best results in terms of Suspended solids (SS) reduction (48.5%) and COD (Chemical oxygen demand) solubilization (47.3%) was obtained in experimental reactor than in control. These results imply that aerobic digestion can be enhanced efficiently through bacterial pretreatment of EPS removed sludge.